Why ear training?

Ear training is the most important part of a musicians development. The good news is that in just 10 minutes per day you can make considerable progress. But you must drill on your ear training exercises every day for a while until you master them. Start simple with intervals and triads, then progress into inverted chords and eventually into extended chords and altered harmony.

Transcription
Ever want to learn a song, just by listening to it? How about learn a part or entire solo by your favorite artist? Ear training is the key to helping you transcribe music faster, until you can learn whole songs in just a few listenings.

Composition
How can you create music if you do not first hear it in your head? Ear training will unlock the creativity inside you. It adds more colors to your musical palate as new intervals and voicings that were once foreign become common place to you. Also, you'll learn to hear what makes other established chord progressions work so well.

Improvisation
Improvisation is the highest level of playing. It is spontaneous composition. Often you start improvising by imitating artists you like. Ear training will aid you in transcribing their solos. Ever wanted to "play by ear"? What that really means is you have trained your ears to recognize chords, progressions, modulations...basically to hear the music as clearly as if the chords were written out infront of you.

Resources on the web

Introduction to Ear Training

Written by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russell Jones. An excellent introduction to ear training with suggested exercises and links to music theory lessons.

Free Jazz Handbook

The freejazz handbook is invaluable. Scroll down to the interval chart and download it. It demonstrates use of familiar melodies as guide to indentifying intervals.